Maurice Fitzgerald (rugby league)

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Maurice Fitzgerald

|fullname = Maurice Michael Fitzgerald

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|03|12|df=y}}

|birth_place = Forest Lodge, New South Wales, Australia

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1942|06|01|1917|03|12|df=y}}

|death_place = near Binche, German-occupied Belgium

|retired = yes

|height = {{Convert|5|ft|9|in|cm|abbr=on}}

|weight = {{Convert|78|kg|stlb|order=flip|abbr=on}}

|position = {{Rlp|LF}}

|club1 = Balmain

|year1start = 1936

|appearances1 = 3

|tries1 = 1

|goals1 = 0

|fieldgoals1 = 0

|points1 = 3

|source = {{Cite web |title=Maurice Fitzgerald – Career Stats and Summary |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/maurice-fitzgerald/summary.html |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=Rugby League Project}}

| module = {{infobox military person

| embed = yes

| allegiance = {{flag|Australia}}

| branch = {{air force|Australia}}

| service_years = 1941-1942

| unit = RAF Bomber Command

| rank = observer and air gunner

| battles = {{tree list}}

World War II

}}

Maurice Michael Fitzgerald (12 March 1917 – 1 June 1942) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the New South Wales Rugby League for Balmain. He died during the Second World War.

Early life and rugby career

Fitzgerald was born on 12 March 1917 in Forest Lodge to Thomas and Dorothy Elizabeth Fitzgerald.{{Cite web |title=World War Two Service |url=https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=1011480&c=WW2 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=Australian Government – Department of Veteran's Affairs}}{{CWGC|id=2254259|name=Fitzgerald, Maurice Michael|access-date=13 July 2020}} He attended Holy Cross College in Ryde from 1933 to 1935, in which time he became the captain of the school's basketball team.{{Cite web |title=NAA: A9301, 403576 |url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=5522674&S=27&N=28&R=0 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=National Archives of Australia}}{{Cite web |title=NAA: A9301, 403576|url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=5522674&S=27&N=28&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=5522674&T=P&S=28 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=National Archives of Australia}} In 1936, Fitzgerald appeared 3 times as a loose forward for Balmain, scoring 3 points and 1 try in 3 appearances.

Personal life and military career

Fitzgerald worked as a clerk. During the Second World War, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in Sydney on 3 February 1941, applying to become aircrew soon after. In May 1941, ranked leading aircraftman, Fitzgerald was transported to Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme, where he practiced as an observer and air gunner at No.2 Air Observer School, Edmonton.{{Cite web |title=NAA: A9301, 403576 |url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=5522674&S=4&N=28&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=5522674&T=P&S=4 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=National Archives of Australia}}{{Cite web |title=NAA: A9301, 403576 |url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=5522674&S=19&N=28&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=5522674&T=P&S=19 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=National Archives of Australia}} Ultimately being assigned as an observer, Fitzgerald was attached to the Royal Air Force and embarked by ship to England in October 1941, arriving on 1 November.

On 1 June 1942, Sergeant Fitzgerald and the other 5 crew members on board Vickers Wellington Z1311 took off from RAF Breighton to take part in the thousand-bomber raid on Essen.{{ASN accident|id=203957|wikibase=yes|title=Vickers Wellington Mk IV Z1311}} Over Hainaut, German-occupied Belgium, Z1311 was shot down by a German Messerschmit Bf 110 night fighter piloted by Oberleutnant Reinhold Eckardt of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3. The aircraft crashed near Binche, killing all aboard. Originally cited as missing in action, Fitzgerald was declared presumed dead on 26 December 1942.{{Cite web |title=NAA: A705, 163/112/125 |url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=1056870&S=4&N=52&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=1056870&T=P&S=3 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=National Archives of Australia}} The crew's remains were eventually found, and all were buried at Charleroi Communal Cemetery.

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! rowspan="2" \|Division ! colspan="4" \|League ! colspan="4" \|Other ! colspan="4" \|Total
Apps !Tries !Goals !Points !Apps !Tries !Goals !Points !Apps !Tries !Goals !Points
Balmain \|1936 \|New South Wales Rugby League \|3 \|1 \|0 \|3 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|3 \|1 \|0 \|3
colspan="3" \|Career total !3 !1 !0 !3 !0 !0 !0 !0 !3 !1 !0 !3

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! rowspan="2" |Division

! colspan="4" |League

! colspan="4" |Other

! colspan="4" |Total

Apps

!Tries

!Goals

!Points